Trained Panda, Adopted Tiger
by jabshadow
Summary: What if Shifu found the panda in the basket, and Mr. Ping adopted the young tigress before she turned into an angry monster? Same villains, same allies, same Kung Fu, but a twist of fate for two star crossed warriors. Who will be dragon warrior? Who will lead the furious five to all of their victories? And who will make the noodles! Rated T for PoTi, though that wont be for a while
1. Found the Panda, Adopted the Tiger

**I was lying in bed. It was late, and I had just gotten back from a long day of class. The clock shone the time at me with beady red lines. 1245. I clicked on my phone and checked my email. One stuck out. An update from a story I was following. I read it enjoying the feeling of unveiling a new chapter to an adventure that enthralled my mind. Yet when it was over, I was left empty. I tossed and turned.**

**Then I made up my mind. I turned on my lamp and rolled out of bed. I tiptoed down the stairs, past my sisters room, where two dogs slept, protecting her, just as I had trained them. The stairs creak, the floors moaned, but I soon had my prize; my laptop bag. As I began my ascent, a dog stood at the top of the stairs, peering down at me, my footsteps awakening her. **

**Yes, well trained indeed. Scared the shit out of me, that's for sure. **

**I found myself back in my bed, arranging pillows to lean against for me to type. The patter of rain and a low rumble of thunder turned my attention to my window. Quickly I rolled up the blinds and turned off the light. Slowly, my eyes adjusted, and I opened my laptop.**

**And I began to fill the white space of another empty page.**

**This is "Trained Panda, Adopted Tiger". I hope you all enjoy.**

Shifu watched as his son hit the floor. He crawled towards him, his limp leg dragging behind him. But he hesitated, and withdrew his hand.

No, not his son. Not anymore. Not after what he had done.

He felt Oogway place a hand on his shoulder. Shifu looked up at him, with a face that emitted both pain and loss.

And then, Shifu slowly blacked out.

And he reveled in the blankness of the darkness that enwrapped him.

Two weeks later, Shifu found himself wandering the streets of the village, a cane holding most of his minimal weight. He was weak and skinny from not eating. His eyes were sunken in from his mourning and self-pity. His clothes were dirty and torn from his anger.

He looked around himself, taking in the sights of the village. Claw marks on walls, buildings destroyed, houses burned. Even after two weeks, the village was still in shambles. He huffed, and stumbled on.

The sunrise suddenly crested over a distant rooftop, blinding Shifu, causing him to drop his cane when he shielded his eyes. He lost balance, finding no strength in his leg to support him.

He fell.

And he did not get up. Why should he. His student had not only failed, but had turned on the city, the one thing they were sworn to protect.

Their one goal and mission. Their only calling.

How could he face the people of this town now? Here he was, curled up on the ground, shamed, beaten, disabled. He barely even deserved the right to live.

But then he heard a babies cry. By instinct, he jerked up, leaning on his elbows, ears flared, searching.

There it was again. Moving. Behind the buildings, down the alleys. He stumbled for his cane and pushed himself up. No one else was in the streets yet, it was far too early. He shuffled between two buildings, stumbling as he went, following the cries.

A cart suddenly whizzed around a corner, narrowly missing him, a frantic antelope not even pausing to apologize. The cries of the baby child echoed from around the corner as well, and Shifu slowly turned peered around it.

A pile of boxes stood before him, vegetable boxes. And on the ground, buried beneath half eaten radishes, was a crying baby panda. Shifu turned back the way the antelope had run, but all he could see was a trail of settling dust.

He limped around the corner and up to the basket. The baby panda had stopped crying, and was looking up at Shifu with large Jade eyes.

"Where are you from little one, where are your parents?"

The baby said nothing.

_Of course it is not going to say any thing. It is a baby._ Shifu looked around him. He couldn't leave the child in the streets. Not at this time of day, not alone. And judging from the child's appearance, it had been a long while since it had had a proper meal and bathing.

He set down his cane and picked up the panda, grunting at its weight. _This is never going to work._

He was about to put the baby back when it suddenly began crawling over his shoulder and onto his back. Shifu struggled to get the panda off him, when suddenly, it clasped on to both of his ears, and Shifu was forced to grab his cane to balance himself.

Then he realized the accidental genius of the little panda. He could now walk, albeit slowly, with both hands on his cane.

Course, there was the steps…

Shifu sighed. One challenge at a time. He would worry about that when he got there.

And when Shifu did manage to get to the top of the stairs, a certain aged and wise turtle stood waiting. He took the small bundle of joy from Shifu's back and held him, tickling his belly.

"It looks like you have found a little lost soul." He looked down at Shifu, collapsed on the ground and panting heavily. "Yes, our little Po. Welcome home."

The massacre had made Mr. Ping realize how old he was. Which really wasn't all that old. But he was getting there, day by day. And he had dreams, many dreams, that he wanted to accomplish. The biggest of them all though, was to turn his Noodle shop into a father daughter noodle shop.

He had always wanted a daughter to help him out in the kitchen. Cleaning, cooking, organizing, collecting money and tips from tables. But he spent all his time and money on the noodle shop. He had no time for dating, or marrying, or kid making.

And so, here he was, doing something he never thought he would do. He was opening the shop late, so that he could pay a visit to the Ba Gu Orphanage.

As he walked up the steps, he saw parents walking down with little ducks and little pigs, and a family even had a young snake with them. He smiled at it all, growing more and more excited.

He reached the entrance and saw a goat walking away, leading someone in front of him.

"Uh, excuse me, I am looking to adopt here today."

The goat stopped in her tracks. Looking over her shoulder. "We only have one child left."

"Where? I don't see anyone but you. And I am definitely not adopting you. Much to old."

The goat glared at him. "She is right here." She stepped to the side. "This is tigress."

A very young tiger stood at the goats side, barely old enough to stand. She had vibrant orange fur, with white and black fur splashing designs across it.

"Is she all that is left?" Mr. Ping questioned softly, looking at the young tiger. "Are there truly no others?"

"None. This is her second time being left alone." She grabbed the small tigers paw, and began leading her away. Tigress hung her head, a tear dripping from her whisker.

Mr. Ping stared after the two, a strong mental battle erupting in his mind. Eventually, he came to a decision. "WAIT!" The goat turned, and the small tiger's ears perked up. "You never waited for me to decide. I came here looking for a daughter. Why are you leading her the wrong direction?"

A huge smile erupted across Tigress' face, and she ran/stumbled the goose, gripping him in a fierce hug.

"Come my little Tigress, let's take you home." The small tiger held his wing, purring loudly, leaving the orphanage behind.

When they got to the shop, a line had already gathered. He pushed through, ignoring the gasps from onlookers as he led his daughter to their new shop. He turned to the crowd as he walked through his archway, waving a cleaver he had pulled out of nowhere.

"I welcome you all to the newly named Goose and Tiger Noodle Shop. And if anyone, I mean anyone, says anything about it I find negative or insulting, I will make sure you never eat here again!" The small tiger at his side chuckled. He turned and looked down at her, smiling warmly. "Now, little Tigress, how would you like to learn to cook NOODLES!"


	2. Bamboo Furniture and Dancing

**So due to the overwhelming response, I have decided to do another update sooner rather than later. And for those who are reading my other stories, I apologize for my abrupt stopping in updates. They will come, fear not. **

Oogway and Shifu watched as the mother goose, one of the many servants working in the Jade Palace, scurried away with the tired Panda child. Shifu had recovered his breath, and stood to Oogway's left, his staff held behind his back, brow furrowed in deep thought.

"The more you try and understand about this, the less sense it will make." Shifu shook his head, looking up at his master, startled. "It was no accident that this panda child was found by you, or found by you after more recent events."

"You have got to be kidding me. Are you saying, that after raising Tai Lung, and utterly failing, the universe is expecting me to raise this panda?" Shifu pounded his staff on the ground, causing an echoing boom through its silent walls. "Is it mocking me! Is it rubbing my failure in my face!"

A gentle hand fell on Shifu's shuttering shoulders. "You did not fail my friend. Tai Lung failed you. And as far as I can tell, the universe has no sense of humor, and as such, is merely giving you a new chance, a new beginning."

Shifu did not look up. He furrowed his brow again; looking in the direction the baby panda was taken. "He will need a name." Shifu muttered after a long silence. "If he is going to be raised here, he is going to need a name."

"Po."

Shifu looked up at his aging master. "Po? That's what you want to name the panda? Po?"

"Were you thinking something different? He is a lost soul, with no family, no place, and until we decide what to do with him, no future. He is our little lost Po, and Po he shall be."

"As you wish grand master." There was a crash and squawking head down the hallway, followed by a loud belch. "I'm, uh, going to go see what just happened."

As Shifu bowed and walked away, Oogway chuckled, smiling after his friend as he limped down the hallway. "Many adventures await you both, and if only you knew how strong you two will be together." He then turned and waved to a passing pig, who rushed over, bowing profusely. "Please order us a new set of bamboo furniture for the guest room, and a crib, preferably not made of edible materials, as well." The pig bowed again and turned to scurry away. "And tell someone to find me my bamboo flute!"

Tigress watched as Mr. Ping went about creating the noodles. Making dough, smashing it down, rolling it out, and cutting it into strings. She was fascinated by it.

"There, then, once you are done with all that, you simply throw it in the pot with all of the ingredients! Carrots, celery, tomatoes, spices, herbs, you know, everything!" In all reality the small tiger did not know, but she nodded her small head earnestly none the less.

As he continued to teach her, three young pigs walked up to the window, sneering at the young feline. The leader of the gang pointed to the tiger, laughing. "What the heck is up with-"The sentence was cut off with a cleaver slamming into the wood beam near the pigs head. "Uh… uh… with this soup… being… so good?"

Mr. Ping slowly lowered the second cleaver he had in his hand, and smiled politely at the boys. "Well, it IS my secret ingredient soup. And before you ask, no, I will not tell you what it is. No leave, before I make a new soup with three more secret ingredients!"

Tigress laughed as the three boys ran from the shop, tripping over themselves on the way. "There now, peace and quiet. Nothing but noodles, customers, and my lovely daughter." Suddenly, a soft melody began playing just outside the shop. "Oh, happy day! I love this song!" Mr. Ping exclaimed in joy. He began humming along as he continued chopping the noodles.

"Oh, Tigress, do you think you could hand me that cleaver I misplaced in the wall over there?" He held his hand out behind him. "Tigress?" A few more seconds of waiting he paused his humming and looked over his shoulder.

And there was little Tigress, prancing about to the music, dancing and swaying with the melody, a delighted smile beaming off of her face. Several customers watched as she danced about, several mothers _awwwwing_ at the cute little tiger and her adoptive father.

Mr. Ping walked to the wall, dancing a little with his daughter along the way and retrieved the cleaver. Then, looking back at his daughter, he left the kitchen and headed out into the street. As he turned the corner onto the road, he found an aging turtle playing a large bamboo flute, his nimble fingers not quite matching the perceived age.

"Ah, Master Oogway, your presence is always welcome at my doorstep. But please, won't you come inside and play? My daughter loves your music, and it would make her so happy to have it inside my shop."

The aging turtle slowly stood and looked down at the shop keeper. "Mr. Ping, your noodles are wonderful, and I am sure your daughter is equally so. But the fates would have it that I do not meet her yet. But a day will come when I will play a most splendid melody for your daughter, one the valley may never forget."

Mr. Ping bowed as the turtle turned and began to walk away. When he felt a tug on his hand, he turned to see Tigress clinging to it. "Who were you taking to daddy?"

Mr. Ping looked back up to find Oogway had vanished. "An old friend dearest, come, let's go make noodles. These poor people are starving!"

**A quick shout out to everyone who gave such great feedback. I love it! Thankyou tuckyhunger99, SpiritualLoneWolfXIII, Fallen Angel, bombymcgee(and for you enjoying all the small details), GangnamCat(I would LOVE a cookie), ILoveSnakes(Viper will be entering eventually), and pandamaster97720!**

**If you would be so kind as to leave a comment about whether you like this update style, with it being half Po half Tigress, or if you think it might be better doing one update all Po and one update all Tigress. That would help me out considerable in future updates. Also, an opinion on whether time lapses(such as jumping a few years or so with small summaries) to get story up to the point of actual kung fu occurring, or if I should go through their lives as they grow and give a deep background on how they developed emotionally and physically. I like both ideas. But I would like opinions of others.**


	3. Punching Bags and Glass Mirrors

**I have decided, for now, to keep going the way I have been. Every update will have a section of Po, and a section of Tigress. Also, I will be going through their entire lives, though not at a super slow pace, may jump a few months here and a year there and such and such. I will be sure to make mention of current ages and things like that.**

Shifu watched as the small Po stood on steady feet in a simple fighting form, facing the large balloon dummy that sat across the room from him, arms raised in a ready stance. In a short three months' time, the panda had made remarkable advancement, almost as naturally as his last student. They had gauged the small Po to be around the age of two, and they had found early on the panda could talk. A lot. And sometimes, it didn't make sense.

Shifu hoped that with proper teaching, proper sentencing would follow.

For now, Shifu encouraged a strict no talking rule while training. Training was training, and the only words allowed spoken were "Yes master," and "Please walk me through it again, master." Anything else would result in a smack on the paw with his cane.

Was it harsh? Yes. But effective.

Po's arms began to shake slightly, and Shifu finally motioned for him to relax. "You managed to hold that position for ten minutes. But your form was sloppy. Your feet weren't wide enough, your arm failed at being perfectly straight, and you kept looking around. Stop getting distracted, and focus." He limped towards the dummy. "Now, I need you to come over here."

Po bowed and walked to Shifu's side. He looked up at the large dummy, painted to look like a strange, colorful monster you might find in a nightmare.

"Hit it."

Po looked at Shifu, surprised. Oogway had told Shifu no strike training for at least another month.

"What?"

A sharp pain erupted on his paw, the cane moving so fast he didn't even see it leave the ground.

"I said, hit it."

Po stood, on edge as to what to do. When Shifu raised an eyebrow and tightened his grip on his cane, the answer became clear. Oogway wasn't here. Shifu and his bamboo cane, they were here. Therefore, Shifu makes the rules.

He took his stance again, right arm out, left arm cocked at his side, legs parted and centered. He locked in on the dummy, exhaled deeply, and punched with a small "hya!"

The dummy doubled over backward from the panda's blow, and for a brief second, Po celebrated the small victory with a quick smile. Though it was a brief second too soon. The dummy flew back at him, hitting him square on and sending him tumbling backward several feet.

As he slowly pushed himself up, he saw Shifu still standing next to the dummy, his face blank, unemotional.

"That was good Po. But you must always be prepared for the opponent to strike back. You need stronger footing, more foundation. One man can stop a hundred men if he has the correct foundation. Now," He motioned to the dummy. "Why don't you hit it again. This time, a little harder."

Po pushed himself to his feet and slowly trudged back to the dummy, taking another ready stance, focusing on his footing.

_Don't cry… Don't cry… Pain is a weakness… Don't cry…_

"Come now Tigress, there is nothing to be afraid of." Mr. Ping coddled the little girl.

"But I don't want to go!" The young tiger shot back, hiding behind the goose.

"But I thought you loved dancing! All the twirling and jumping and prancing about, knocking down the noodles and spilling the vegetables." He looked up at the building they were about to enter. "If you are going to keep doing that, you have to learn how to do it properly!"

The tiger peeked from behind the goose, then eventually sighed. "Ok… if you say so." With a pouting lip and dragging feet, she was led through the doors.

The room she entered was simple. There were no chairs or any other furniture except for straw mats spread out on the bamboo floor, and glass mirrors covered three of the four walls in the room.

"Well hello there little one!" A crimson colored viper slithered over from where she had been reading, pulling her glasses from her face. "Mr. Ping, have you finally brought your daughter to master her craft?"

"Yes, well, after someone mentioned your class had openings, every day the customers say she should go. They do take joy from her prancing about with their food." He gave Tigress a sidelong look. "Hopefully she won't spill as much once she learns a little."

The viper chuckled and slithered in front of her. "Oh I assure you, she will be excellent at balance. Tell me Tigress, why is it you dance?"

The tiger looked down bashfully before responding. "My feet just kind of move when music plays. And my head goes along with it."

"Well then dear, I, Diana Ling, Master Ribbon Dancer of the Peaceful Valley, would be honored to teach you to harness that feeling, and turn it into something beautiful."

Tigress looked up at the snake and smiled. "If dad says its ok."

They both turned to the goose, who backed up a few steps. "Well don't look at me, I wouldn't waste the time walking down here if I wasn't already ok with it. That's time I could have spent making noodles!"

Later that night, as Tigress and Mr. Ping were cleaning the tables and closing up the shop, a goose in yellow flew through the door, a wrapped package tucked under his wing. Mr. Ping greeted the goose with smile. "Ah, my good friend Zehng. How are you this lovely evening? You just missed the noodles!"

"No time for noodles Mr. Ping, though it is nice to see you again. This new job has got me going nuts. I mean look at me! Feathers, falling off everywhere. I swear, one of these days, all this molting caused by stress will get me in trouble. That Shifu just doesn't know when to let up." He sat down, shaking his head. "Anyway, I have a package for your daughter, though I am not allowed to say who it is from."

"Well thank you Zehng. Why don't you rest a little, and I'll make us some tea." Zehng nodded, and Mr. Ping took the package and walked over to Tigress.

"You can stop now Tigress. Run off to bed. And here, a package arrived for you, though it doesn't say who from." Tigress eagerly grabbed the package and ran for the stairs, yelling a "goodnight daddy" as she did so.

When she reached her room, she slammed the door shut behind her. It was an empty room, save a small bed, a chest of drawers, and a candle. She threw herself onto the bed and tore open the bag.

She gasped at what was inside. A brand new, hand carved wooden flute, with dragon markings etched into it and dyed black. She was afraid to touch it, and for the longest time, she just looked at it.

But eventually, curiosity got the cat.

She picked it up gently, careful about her claws, and brought it to her lips. She breathed in, and let out one steady, strong, unwavering note. Squealing with joy, she ran to the window and climbed up to the roof.

This had become her favorite spot as of late. The roof offered a mostly unobstructed view of the valley. Its buildings, its markets, even some of the farms if you squinted your eyes.

But nothing compared to the Jade Palace that stood atop the lonely mountain, the home of the guardians of the village. The moment she had laid eyes on it she had desired to go there. It looked so pretty.

She blew once again into her new flute, playing with the key holes, warbling out nonsense. But to her, it was beautiful melody.

And when she stopped playing, and listened hard, she could swear she heard someone playing back to her, from far far away, up into the mountains.

**I would like to thank everyone once again for all the reviews and the personal opinions on the matter of updating. I have decided the current scheme will work for now, and time lapse will occur, though in controlled and not supper crazy periods of time. Shout outs to Blazehunter64, Fallen Angel, ghosthead8503, Master T-Rex, and Nesumy19.0z(with help of translator haha), for their input of the question! **

**And another shout out to bombymcgee! He has a great piece of work coming along, and though I haven't had time to write a review, I stole time at work to read it, and so far, it's a good read!**

**And, one last shout out to Redsaber202 and his story series Kung Fu Panda Altered Paths! He is taking a different twist to somewhat the same plot as mine. Been following his updates religiously!**


	4. Birthday Forgotten and Prophesy Remember

**I apologize for the late late update. New job working me hard overtime, which is good, because I need money. Also, my great grandfather is in the hospital. He is not going to be coming back out. He is comfortable, but it is only a matter of time.**

**I had this half way written, and I just lost motivation to write, instead losing myself inside Mass Effect (3****rd**** play through, level 50 paragon soldier). So tonight, after a very emotional evening watching his struggling to breathe, I forced myself to type. So if it is of lesser quality, I apologize. The next update may be a little while off, but it is outlined on a paper next to my keyboard, so it WILL be written, do not fear.**

"Strike!" Po punched. "Strike! Rear!" Po spun around, throwing a down block and following through with another punch. "Block left! Strike right!" Po threw his arm into a mid-block left and snap kicked to the right. "Hold!"

Po stood balanced on his left foot, his right leg stretched out, his left arm blocking an imagined aggressor. He had been training like this for the last three hours, reacting to his master's commands. He was in the training hall, currently empty save for the giant jade tortoise shell. Shifu stood above his, on the walkway, while he trained in the dirt below.

Sweat began to drip from his nose. His right leg began to waver. He left foot lost feeling. And still he held the position.

Suddenly, a sharp pain erupted on the back of his head, and he toppled over. He rolled away from the would be attacker and saw Shifu standing there, staff held behind his back. "You concentrate too much on yourself and not enough on what is around you. Pain happens, discomfort happens, you just have to deal with it. If I had been intent on taking your life, your head would be rolling right now."

"But one must look into himself to find his inner peace." As usual, Oogway appeared right as Shifu began swinging his stick. Po stood and bowed, as did Shifu. "You cannot simply burry your emotion. It will just dig itself right back out, and create an even larger hole."

"But he lost focus on his surroundings. Had this been a real fight, he would have been helpless."

Oogway chuckled. "Well yes, but I do not feel our little Po would be balancing on one foot if he were being attacked. I do think he would be fighting back, yes?"

Shifu flattened his ears and grumbled out a yes master. Po stood next to him, silent.

"Now tell me Shifu, I feel as though my memory is leaving me. Is there something I am forgetting about today?"

"As far as I care master, this day is much like any other. We eat, we train, we meditate. No special events, no special dates, just a normal day." She straightened himself and nodded to them both. "And speaking of meditation, I do believe I am going to retire to my room. Good night."

Oogway and Po watched as Shifu limped out of the arena and out of the training hall, his cane held proudly behind his back, used more as a weapon as of late than a waling device.

As the door slammed shut, Oogway turned to Po, who was looking at the ground. "Do not fret young one, not all are as distracted as Shifu. He has much clouding his mind, and it will remain that way for a long time yet." He placed his arm on the young panda's shoulder. "Happy seventh birthday. I left you a small gift in your room."

Po nodded, then bowed to Oogway as the aged turtle left. He stayed where he was standing, fists clenched. _How could he forget._ He wondered sadly. _I work so hard. I do everything he asks. And he treats me like I'm nothing._

Anger soon replaced the sadness, and his fists began to quiver. He walked out of the training hall and into the slowly darkening night sky. The lights of the village lit the sides of the mountains, and he began to walk towards the staircase.

He stood at the top, like he had a hundred times before. He had never had the courage to take that first step down, that first step to his supposed freedom.

Tonight, he realized it wasn't courage he needed, it was anger.

He didn't pause when he reached the top of the stairs. He charged down them, jumping three steps at a time.

When he hit the bottom of the steps he rolled, and came up in a crouched position. The streets were empty, and many houses were already turning off their lights for the night. He strolled straight down the main street.

He could see the gate. He could see his freedom. But with every step, he felt his anger fading away. With every step, he felt the sadness slowing down his muscles.

Eventually he came to a step and mere ten yards from the gate. And there Po stood, black and white fur blowing from the soft breeze, tears pouring down his face. He just stood there and cried.

"Hey, you, what are doing there! It's getting late!" Po turned quickly and saw a goose waddling towards him, putting a coin in one of his many pockets. "You should be home! This is no time of night for a young one to be out and about."

Po wiped his eyes and shook his head. "I don't have a home. Not a normal one anyway."

The goose looked at him oddly. "What do you mean you don't have a normal home? Where do you live?" Po pointed up to the Jade Palace. "Ah… that explains that."

"Look, I don't know who you are. But my father didn't even remember my own birthday today. I just turned seven! And this is my FIRST time in the village! My first time being out on my own!" He pounded his chest, but once again, the anger was quickly drained from him. "He doesn't care about me. He never did. All he cares about is Tai Lung. And I'll never be him."

The goose walked to Po's side and put a hand on his shoulder, reaching up to do so. "Trust me, you do not want to be like that mad cat. He turned on the village, killed a lot of people, almost killed Shifu too from what I heard." Po nodded. "You need to be who you are, not what people want you to be. If you are hard core, be hard core. If you are not, well then don't. Learn all that you can, take in all that you can, and let that guide you to who you truly are. If there is one thing I can tell you, there is always someone out there that thinks they know what is best for you. But only you know what is best for you."

"Thank you sir. That helps." Po took a deep breath and turned himself around. "I guess I'll be heading back then."

"Back home you mean." The goose corrected.

"Yeah… home."

Tigress and Mei Ling spun across the stage together, ribbons in both of their paws. They twirled and flipped, spun and rolled. They made art with their bodies.

Diana Ling stood at the edge of the stage, smiling brightly, along with Mr. Ping and a small crowd of common folk. When the two stopped and bowed, panting heavily, the crowd erupted into cheers, throwing confetti and flowers.

Mr. Ping ran on stage and Tigress jumped into his arms with a squeal of joy, and tackling him to the ground. "Oh, you looked absolutely stunning! How did you learn to do that!"

"I've been dancing since I was two daddy, and now I'm six and a half! That's, like, a really long time!" She got up out of the embrace just in time for Mei Ling to jump on her back.

"That was so awesome! Tigress, you are such a good dancer!"

"Ah Mei Ling, so are you! We are definitely the best dancers ever." The two girls erupted into a fit of giggles, then turned back to the crown, giving them another bow. As the cheers lowered and the crowd began to disperse, Mr. Ping ran off stage and began handing out coupons to the noodle shop. With purchases, of course.

As Tigress and Mei Ling stood talking, Diana Ling slithered up to them. "Girls, that was incredible! The best performance I have ever been part of. I am very proud of you!" The two girls ran up and hugged their teacher. "And even more impressive, there are two talent scouts here as well, for an academy!" She looked over her shoulder to a Rhino and an aging turtle.

"Yes, you are both very impressive. The skills you have at this young of age are truly gifts. I am here to offer one of you a position in our academy to further your skills." He looked angrily at the turtle. "I would like to offer both of you the position, but as it were, I was recently informed only one position was available."

Tigress and Mei Ling turned and looked at each other. "Only one of us? But we are best friends!"

"Do no worry little one. We must still consult with your parents before anything is made final." The elder turtle responded. "They may not consent."

"Actually… my parents were already going to send me away for school…" Mei Ling looked sadly over at Tigress. "So there really isn't any way I won't be going."

"That is very good to hear. Our academy will greatly benefit from your ability." The rhino looked back at the turtle again. "If my budget hadn't been cut, which I am VERY UNHAPPY ABOUT, I would more than happily offer it to the both of you."

Mr. Ping waddled back up as the rhino finished, and Tigress ran to him, burying her head in his shoulder. "What, what is the matter!" He looked up at the rhino. "Did you do this! I will get my pans, and I will make you suffer!"

Oogway stepped in front of the goose. "Do not worry dear friend. Mei Ling has been chosen to attend a special academy, an offer originally meant for two, but after deliberation, conceded into an offer for one."

Mr. Ping eyed his friend wearily. "And yet I feel there is much more meaning to this. You are far too good at your riddles." He waved his open arm towards Mei Ling, beckoning her over. "Come, we shall have a celebratory meal at the noodle shop! You girls did excellent!" Mei Ling nodded, wiping tears from her eyes, and Tigress stood up stiffly, and they walked with a measure of depressed silence.

Oogway watched them depart, and mentally prepared himself for what was to come. _Calm, peace, balance…_

"I should throw you off your mountain!"

He sidestepped the charging Rhino, using his staff to trip him off the stage. "Now you listen here, you hard headed fool. You are trying to change prophesy! You are trying to change things foretold far before you were born!" Oogway steadied himself, controlling his anger, and finding his inner peace, smiling as he felt himself relaxing.

Faster than anyone could blink, Oogway was suddenly next to the Rhino, his staff pressed against his neck. "She must stay. If she were to leave, the greatest prophesy will fail, and at the time of greatest need."

The rhino looked up at him, wide eyed. "You don't mean…"

"Yes. The prophesy of the dragon warrior." He looked out the door the trio had left. "It has begun, just as it was said it would. And I must go and begin gathering the Furious Five."

Tigress was finally in bed asleep. Mei Ling's parents had arrived at the Noodle shop not long after they had started eating, along with the rhino, and confirmed that she would be going. Mei Ling was happy at the opportunity, and Tigress had put on a brave face. It lasted about as long as the meal.

Several hours of crying finally led to an exhausted Tigress falling asleep. Now, Mr. Ping was finishing up with a few regulars who had waited patiently. As his last customer left into the dark night, the pig turned. "Hey, thanks for staying open. Here's a little extra!" He threw a coin to Mr. Ping, who caught it easily.

"Thank you Cho Chu!" He set it on the table and continued sweeping.

Then, suddenly, as he was sweeping, he heard the coin drop and roll out the front of his shop.

"What! Hey you, get back here! Your mine now!" He chased the small coin out of the shop and found it laying face up on the ground. "Now how did you get down from that table and all the way out here?" He picked up the coin and brushed it off, turning to enter his shop and continue cleaning.

But as he did, he saw, of all things, a panda child standing at the gate to the village, staring out into the darkness.

Pocketing the coin, he called out to the child, "Hey, you, what are doing there! It's getting late!"

**Yocally, thanks for the compliment! And yea, isn't redsaber great? Definitely a source of motivation to pursue this story line.**

**ShadowTeenGirl, the idea that it would be vipers mom did cross my mind, but I am planning on keeping somewhat to the other characters original stories, so sadly, they are still in the snake village, where viper is fighting gorilla bandits.**

**FallenAngel, I will give Obsidian Blade a look, and if you could pm a link to the fan made trailer, that'd be awesome**

**Sweetluckygirl, I think I clarified ages well in this one, sorry for the confusion in the last story, let me know how it reads!**

**ILoveSnakes, GangnamCat, spida-dawg16, wildkratticusfever, tuckyeyhunger99, AnimeLover'N'KFP(good guess), smiles1998, and anyone else who has favorited and followed my story, thank you! **


	5. Silent Farewell

Po woke before sunrise as usual. He never slept well. He was always sore from training. From sunrise to sun down, Shifu worked him hard. And when he wasn't training physically he was reading one of the thousands of scrolls in the library. He was pretty sure he was half way through it.

He walked out of his room and past a goose who was sweeping the floor. The goose nodded. He knew Po never talked. He had never talked much unless answering a question or responding to someone conversing with him, and though he had an excellent vocabulary, the panda kept everything he said short.

He was withdrawn from those around him. His life was training. That's all he did, that's all he focused on, that's all he cared about. A certain goose had helped him find that. It gave him a certain peace, finding his solace in training. There was no emotion, just kung fu. His kung fu was his emotion.

So when he opened the door to leave the empty barracks, he was surprised to find Oogway waiting for him, and unprepared for the emotion it would cause him. The old turtle had on his traveling sash, and a burlap sack over his should holding what he could only assume was food and supplies for travel.

They did not speak to each other. Po had known this day would come, he had heard Shifu and Oogway discussing the need for more students, something Oogway referred to as the "Furious Five". Po bowed deeply to his mentor and, to Po, his only true friend on the mountain top, a single tear dropping from his eyes.

Oogway placed a knowing hand on Po's shoulder, then turned and began to walk down to the many steps leading to the valley. Po stood silently, alone. As he watched Oogway slowly disappear down the steps, he saw the turtles hand flash, and a piece of paper flew directly at Po.

He snatched it from the air, then unfolded it to read. It was a coupon.

_This entitles the holder to a free bowl of secret ingredient soup at the Goose and Tiger Noodle Shop! _

_With purchase!_

Just a quick insert to help the story move along, was having trouble fitting it in with the normal update setup that I have going. So…. Yeah there were go :D t


	6. The Bug

**So I decided to arc off for a few updates to get the furious five all in here, and don't worry, a tigress update is coming soon. Sorry for the long wait. Been really busy. Next one is coming soon!**

Po sat next to the peach tree, meditating in the noon sun. At least, that's what Shifu had told him to do at the peach tree. In all reality, Po merely sat and listened, and watched the world move around him.

He could see the villagers scurrying through the streets below, worrying about such frivolous things as egos, respect, and coin.

He could watch the wind as it traveled along the fields, causing waves of grass. He was jealous of the wind. It neither yielded to the trees nor the mountains. He wished he were that strong willed.

He watched the river as it flowed, unending, grinding away at the earth. The water had a path to follow, and nothing could keep it from following it. Po was also jealous of the water. It knew its purpose and its path. Po knew neither.

As he sat watching the villagers, wind and water, he suddenly found he was not alone. A mantis sat on his shoulder in a meditative stance, watching over the valley with him. When the small bug noticed him looking, he held out a note.

"Some turtle gave me this note, told me I could learn more if I came here." He dropped the note, and it fluttered into Po's lap. "Is there anything to eat?"

Po picked up the note and sure enough, the Jade Palace crest was pressed into the paper with Oogway's marking on it. "Yeah, follow me."

"I'll just hitch a ride if you don't mind." Po shrugged, stood up, and began walking to the kitchen.

"So, do you train here?" Po nodded. "Is the master here somewhere?" Po nodded again, motioning to the training hall. "You don't talk much do you." Po shook his head. "How old are you?"

"I'm 14."

"Ha! You talked!" Po shrugged. "Alright, alright, I get it, you don't like to talk. I guess it's nice to meet someone whose sole focus is Kung Fu." Po nearly tripped when he said that, but managed to keep his pace, staring that thought away to think on later. "Hopefully means I'll be able to learn a lot here. You can just call me Mantis by the way. No real need for my name anymore, not since my fiancé dumped me. Time for a new start."

When they arrived at the kitchen, Po got down a bowl of bean buns, and sat down as Mantis started attacking several of them. Po was trying to figure out where the bean buns went when the small bug ate them when one suddenly hit him in the face. "Eat up panda boy. Starting to make me think all you panda's starved to death." Po merely plopped the bun in his mouth and swallowed it.

"PO! What do you think you are doing!" Po stood quickly, bowing to master Shifu, who had magically appeared at the door. "And who is this!"

"This is Mantis, master. Master Oogway has finally sent a new student."

"Oogway has returned?" Shifu asked, ears popping up in hope. When Po nodded, they drooped back down to their normal, angry, twitching state. "I see. Well then, Mantis, come with me. I want to run you through some tests to see what level of skill you have." With that, Shifu limped out the door, Mantis following close behind, leaving Po alone in the kitchen.

"Sole focus is Kung Fu." Po repeated the bugs words, rolling them over in his mind. For years, he had seen Kung Fu as his crutch, his lock and chain, the thing keeping him trapped up in this empty Palace. But for some reason, this simple thought, this simple statement, was slowly eating away and changing his mind. "My sole focus is Kung Fu." He said aloud, as if to seal his fate.

"My sole focus is Kung Fu." A kung fu chill went down his spine, a chill of destiny.

"My purpose is to master all of Kung Fu." He stood, clenching his fists. "My purpose it to be the best Kung Fu master ever seen."

Thus Mantis, the first member of the Furious Five, joined the Jade Palace as a new student.

**Next up, Monkey!**


	7. The Mammal

A lone monkey balanced atop his staff on the roof of the Jade Palace, watching as a young panda was thrown about on what seemed to be a sparring ground. A small red panda stood to the side, rigid, staff held behind his back, his face looking grim.

There weren't enough smiles here.

He'd have to change that.

He finished the banana he had been eating and crept along the roof, grimacing as the panda was thrown against the far wall by his unseen attacker. The panda stood back up quickly though, which caused the monkey to pause.

If anyone else had been thrown into a wall like that, it would have rendered them unconscious, or worse. He watched as the panda began to step forward, blocking unseen attacks, a new, fierce, and determined look spreading across his face.

_Whoever it is he is fighting is now in a lot of trouble. _He cocked back his arm, banana peel ready. _I better help even the odds._

With an accurate and precise flick of his wrist, the banana peel flew through the air like a yellow throwing star, landing directly under the panda's next step.

But when the panda's foot came down, the panda did not fall, didn't even slip a centimeter.

Instead, the panda used his foot to flick the banana up into the air.

Directly at the monkey's face.

This caused a large disturbance in the monkey's balance on his staff. He reached out to grab onto the roof, but due to the banana peel covering his face, found himself grabbing at nothing but thin air.

And so, of course, he fell. Right into a pile of yoga matts, which helped cushion his fall enough to only hurt his pride.

As he crawled out of the pile, he found himself being confronted by three warriors. A panda, a small red panda, and a mantis. The mantis was laughing and barely keeping his balance. The panda was smiling, albeit a small smile, almost indistinguishable. The red panda was glaring fire at him.

"Let me guess." The red panda growled through clenched teeth. "You were sent by Master Oogway to train and join the furious five."

"Yeah, uh, he sent me with this note? Said it was all I needed to get in." He handed the red panda the note with his tail. He read it while the panda helped the monkey up from the dirt. The mantis was still laughing, now sprawled out on his back.

"Well well well. Oogway did indeed send you. Now, what is it that we may call you?"

"You can just call me Monkey I guess. Don't really have any other name to go by." He flicked the Mantis with his tail. "Dude, stop laughing, you're going to cramp or choke or something."

"I can't!" Mantis gasped between laughs. "I've barely so much as chuckled for the last two weeks." Another gasp. "It's always so serious here!"

Monkey shook his head. "Trust me, I can definitely fix that trend."

"You most certainly will not! I am Master Shifu, head of the Jade Palace in the absence of its true leader. And you ruined a perfectly educational sparring match with your little banana peel prank! The tides had just turned, and Mantis needed to learn how to turn a retreat into an opportunity to regain the advantage! Why in the world did you think you should interrupt such a lesson!"

Monkey shrugged his shoulders. "There weren't enough smiles."


	8. The Reptile

**As you may have realized I am taking my own road on the introductions of the furious five. I don't know if viper is first in the actual kung fu panda universe. But this is my plot line, and in my head, this is how it all works out. And Fallen Angel, I almost titled it that, but I feel like I should stick with the original title scheme I cooked up. And yes, I agree zer0smaster, taking out the trash is no fun at all.**

**To all those wondering where Tigress is in all this, fear not, after the introductions of the furious five, there will be a chapter committed solely to catching up on Tigress. Then it's back to the normal update style.**

**Or is it…**

Po ducked as the pig bandit Monkey had been battling flew over his head, and then rolled as an ox was knocked back from one of Mantis' nerve strikes. As he regained his footing, he was charged by two geese with spears. He slapped both the spear heads of the way, and then ran between the two geese, striking both in the head with his outstretched arms.

He flowed through the battle waging around him like water down a stream. It was his first mission, his first quest, his first answered call for help. It was the first time he got to use his kung fu in actual combat, to really test his skills in real action. To prove to master Shifu he was ready for something more advanced than the wooden dummies in the training hall.

He heard a shout of warning and turned to find two rabbits had just thrown several knives at him. He dodged several, then caught two of them, spinning and sending them flying back to their original owns.

His aim was true. Both rabbits suddenly found themselves pinned against the side of a house, knives stuck half way through the wooden paneling.

And all the way through the large, unattractive piercings they were sporting.

As Po smiled at his handiwork, he heard Monkey cry out. He turned, just in time to watch Monkey fly over his head. A large rhino stood several yards from Po, laughing hysterically as the primate landed hard. Po turned to his shoulder, where Mantis had just appeared. "Go make sure he is ok, I'll handle this."

Mantis looked at him quizzically. "It's rather sad that that may be the longest sentence you've ever said to me." With that said, he jumped form Po's shoulder to Monkey's aid.

"Well well well, a Panda? Didn't know you all were still around!" The rhino cracked his knuckles in both hands. "This is going to be even more fun than I thought."

Po readied himself, planting his feet and spreading his arms in a defensive posture. Though he may stand taller than anyone currently in the Valley of peace and a staggering five foot something, the rhino towered over him, slightly due to height, mostly due to the massive amount of muscle. Po finished scanning his opponent and flicked his wrist several times. "Ready."

The rhino roared, flaring his nostrils, and charged directly at Po. He steadied himself, both worried and excited at the same time, which he blamed mostly on the adrenaline. When the monstrous rhino was a mere yard away, Po flashed out his fist in a loud, resounding crack.

Except his fist never hit anything. And Po now found himself face to face with the Rhino. A rhino which now currently had pink ribbon covering half of his face and wrapped securely around his horn.

An ever so pitiful "_meep_" escaped through the ribbon before the Rhino was suddenly pulled from Po's face. Several whip cracks later and a little bit of knot tying, and the Rhino was wrapped up tighter than a gift during the winter festival.

And atop the humiliated Rhino sat a young viper.

Po stared up at the snake, wary. He did not say anything until both Mantis and a limping Monkey stood by his side. "Who are you?"

The snake slithered down to the ground and looked up at the three masters. "Call me viper. Master Oogway told me I could come here and train, and that my skills as a dancer would be very helpful." She looked over her shoulder, then back at the trio, smiling a big, fangless smile. "Obviously he was right. You should be more careful! Charging Rhinos are almost impossible to stop!"

"Yeah, it's like trying to keep Mantis from getting hungry every fifteen minutes."

"I have a fast metabolism!"

"You break the laws of physics! How can you even fit four bean buns inside of you! You should be exploding!"

"Guys!" Po raised his voice above the two, who instantly clamped their mouths shut. "We have a new guest."

"Yeah, and she just made our day a lot easier. No way you could take that guy down." Monkey picked up his staff with his tail and poked at the muffled rhino. "Man, even covered in pink you're still ugly."

"So do we have to clean all this up? Or can the locals do it." Mantis hoped down to Monkey's shoulder. "Cause I'm hungry."

"Let's just get to the palace." Po turned and began walking home, knocking a pig on the head with his fist, making sure he was out cold.

"Is he always like that?" Viper asked in a hushed tone.

"Yeah, he's the master's kid. Does nothing but train all day long. Hardly ever talks."

"Better to train all day than eat all day."

Viper chuckled, and then looked worriedly at Po. "A child needs a mothers touch to develop properly. Otherwise they can grow up cold and hard."

"Po's not cold. Hard, yes, but that's because there's nothing but muscle under all that fur."

"Regardless, he needs a woman's influence. And from the sound of it, the palace is a boy's wonderland." Viper looked up at the two walking next to her. "Hope you guys don't mind a girl moving in on your territory."

"Hope you know how to cook!" Mantis shot back.

A whip crack sounded, and as Po walked, he held up his hand, palm facing back. And sure enough, Mantis flew face first into it, dead on target. Po looked down as the small insect slowly stood, struggling to keep his balance.

He finally managed to stutter out, "In case you were wondering, Viper doesn't cook."


	9. The Avian

**You know you made some good jokes in your last update when you go back to reread it, and can't stop yourself from laughing. Anyway, so sorry for the long update. Been in Texas for a wedding, and before that working way too much overtime at the job. Hopefully, things will smooth out now.**

Oogway could here the grunts, yells, and clashing of weapons before he even entered the city. He heard punches, could make out the distinct sounds of bodies hitting the ground. He gripped his staff tighter, took a deep breath, and stepped through the gate.

And right into the Lee Da Kung Fu Academy Training field.

Students's were practicing weapons training in several corners, and in the middle of the field, full on combat training between groups of two were being taught.

Oogway sighed. He never enjoyed coming here.

"Well well well, look who it is." Oogway turned to a large Rhino that was standing to the right of the gate with several other teachers. "You have a lot of nerve coming here, even if it has been seven years."

"I do not see why what happened seven years ago should be affecting how we interact now." Oogway responded cheerfully.

"So you're not here to take one of my students?" The Rhino asked, slightly surprised.

"Well, I didn't say that."

The Rhino huffed, stomping his foot. "You insolent old turtle. You took a perfect student from me already, who you aren't even training, and now you are here to take another! You go to far!"

"The prophesy and the universe have led me here to find the student that does not fit." Ignoring the enraged rhino, he scanned the students, many of which had stopped their training to watch their headmaster. "One who does not enjoy all the fighting and focus on strength, but prefers the agility and ability to protect others that true kung fu offers."

"You will not have any of my students!" The rhino threw off his robe, stomping into an aggressive kung fu stance. "Your prophesy's be damned! Kung fu is about strength, about power, not about old scrolls and ancient wisdoms."

"And this is why I dislike this place. So much fighting, so much anger. Kung fu is about peace. Harmony." He turned to the rhino. "If you try to stop me, I cannot promise your safety."

The rhino's response was a huff and a charge.

In a flash, Oogway was out of the way, staff outstretched, tripping the rhino.

A quick roll and a grunt, and he was standing again. "Drop your staff you old fool. I have no weapon, and yet you fight dishonorably by wielding yours."

"I beg of you to stop this. Embrace kung fu once again, leave your childish desires of peace through power!" Oogway threw his staff over his shoulder. "Please!"

"Never! I can protect the world with my students!" The rhino lunged forward, kicking and punching. "My students are strong!" He pushed Oogway back a step. "My students are honorable!" Oogway dodged and double fisted smash that cracked the ground where he once stood. "My students follow my every order!" Oogway was forced back several more steps from an onslaught of heavy hits and head butts.

Suddenly, Oogway fell, tripping on one of the cracks etching out from where the Rhino had struck. The Rhino lunged again, slamming his foot into Oogway's chest. "You are dangerous old one, the last of the few masters who ever believed in the old scrolls and wisdoms." He applied more pressure, causing Oogway to gasp. "It is time to put you to rest."

"No!" A flash of white and blue knocked the Rhino from Oogway's chest. Oogway looked up at his savior, crane in a straw hat, and smiled.

"Well it took you long enough to show yourself." With a clap, Oogway levitated into a standing position. "Now, you wait here. I have some unfinished business."

The Rhino pulled himself from the pile of weapons he had been knocked into. "Crane! How dare you! You insolent cleaning boy! I'll double your work for that!"

Then, the Rhino noticed that Oogway was walking towards him. And he noticed the dead set look on his face.

"Stay back!" The Rhino screamed, panicking. He picked up several spears and began to hurl them at the turtle, but Oogway flicked each away with his wrists without even slowing down or flinching. The Rhino took a step back, and then suddenly, Oogway flashed right in front of him.

His fist struck the Rhino in his chest, doubling him over. "You abuse your power. You abuse your strength. You abuse your students." Oogway lowered his head to the Rhino's ear. "But worst of all, you abuse Kung Fu," He whispered sadly, "And that is something the universe cannot forgive."

Oogway brought his free hand to the Rhino's head and pressed his palm to his skull. A brilliantly golden light emitted from the two of them, and when it dimmed, Oogway stood alone, a sullen look on his old face.

He slowly turned, tapping the ground as he did, causing his staff to fly to his outstretched hand. He walked back over to the crane who was now standing in front of a familiar face.

"Mei Ling, it is good to see you again."

Mei Ling stepped out from behind the crane and bowed. "Master Oogway."

"I understand I am not on the best of terms with the academy now, having taken your headmaster from you." Mei Ling looked away, anger on her face. "Fear not, your new master will be much more skilled, and much more aligned with true Kung Fu." Mei Ling still did not respond. "Good bye Mei Ling. Your friend will be in good hands. Come, my avian friend. We must go. There is much to do."

The crane looked at the crowds of students around him, then lowered his head and followed.

As they walked out the gate, Oogway turned to the bird. "Dread not, Crane. You leave from here as a cleaning boy. But where I take you, you will be a Kung Fu master." Crane looked at him, eyes wide.

"And quite possibly, a legend."


	10. Flips, Reflexes, and Foreboding

Tigress sat in her window, staring out into the streets.

Mei Ling was gone. Her desire to dance was gone. Her smile was gone.

And as Mr. Ping watched from the doorway to her room, he was worried it would never come back.

He had watched his little tigress's heart crack when Mei Ling left. She had been her only friend in this valley. Feline's were rare in this part of China, and the ones that were known, were not known for their good hearts and friendly spirits.

No, the valley of peace was not a feline accepting village.

"Tigress, please come down from there, I don't want you falling."

Tigress sighed and dropped from the window into her bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Why couldn't we both go?"

"I don't know sweet heart. They wouldn't tell me." And Mr. Ping had indeed tried to find out why, but his old friend would not budge on his silence. "That old turtle is nearly as stubborn as I am. I wonder if he is almost as good at noodles…"

"What am I going to do now? " Tigress asked softly, shaking her father from his thought.

Mr. Ping waddled into the room and jumped up on the bed, sitting next to his daughter. "Well, I know where you can start." Tigress looked at him questioningly. "Noodles!"

Tigress rolled her eyes, but she could not hide a hint of a smile. Her father always knew how to cheer her up.

*1 year later, Tigress age 8*

"Table four needs bean buns!"

"On it!"

"Noodles to take to tables two, five, seven and twelve!"

"Already there!"

Tigress was working at full speed today. She didn't know why, but she was extremely energized. Everything seemed to be moving slowly around her, as if giving her an edge over, well, life.

So when she turned around and found two rabbits standing directly behind her, she somehow found time to leap in the air, doing a complete flip, and landing on the other side of them, completely balanced.

The patrons around her were amazed.

"She's the best dancer in the valley!"

"I was there at her and Mei Ling's last performance!"

"I can't believe they chose Mei Ling, Tigress is obviously the better dancer."

That was the praise Tigress lived for, though as far as she could tell, no one knew she could hear them when they spoke of her. Another one of the many benefits of being a tiger, her hearing was far advanced than those around her.

And as soon as she entered the kitchen, she got to put to use another of her recent skills. Strength. Mr. Ping was trying to lift a large iron pot onto the oven, and Tigress was more than happy to help.

"My my Tigress. Look at you! So strong! Obviously the noodles. Very good for you." Mr. Ping began to fill the pot with water. "Special guests coming today. Heard from villagers a group of wolves were going to stop by."

"Wolves! Father, wolves are bad news! You've heard the reports! They're hunting for someone! What if they cause trouble!"

"Yes yes, I've also been told the moon controls the tides. If they pay, I have no problems. Besides, I've yet to have anyone stand against my knives without running away." To secure the point, he threw three of his vegetable slicers, leaving them quivering in the wooden post. "Pff, wolves."

Tigress sighed and shook her head, a bad feeling creeping up from her toes. She went about her duties regardless, her previous speed and joy with work sapped from her body.

The wolves arrived just after the giant pot of noodles had been completed. And as soon as the first one entered the courtyard, the local inhabitants deserted it.

There were four in total. Three of them looked normal to Tigress, at least as normal as a wolf could look. The fourth was what caught her attention. His back was more hunched, and his fur was longer. He was bigger than the others, wore more armor, with a strange symbol painted on a shoulder piece, and had a nasty looking hammer on his back. A patch covered one eye, a scar peeking out the top and the bottom.

All four sat without saying anything, and Mr. Ping attended to them personally while Tigress stayed in the kitchen.


	11. Seers and Dreams

**Sorry for the short updates and the long long wait. Was in Breckenridge, Colorado for the 4****th****, but was there for about a week or so. Been a very busy time. Hopefully I can keep doing these little updates as we catch Tigress back up to the rest of the group. Thank you all for the patience.**

Mr. Ping dropped a small bag on the counter in front of Tigress, spilling its contents out across the counter. Tigress stared in wonder, as it was none other than small round gold coins, shining in the light of the setting sun.

"Not only can I handle wolves, I can make them pay DOUBLE!" Mr. Ping smiled as he waddled past Tigress, who was still in shock. "That large one there, very much a gentlemen. Apologized for scaring off the customers, paid extra to cover losses." Hu flapped onto the counter and began stirring some extra herbs and spices into the mix. Looking over his shoulder, he eyed Tigress quizzically. "What are you doing, young one?"

"This symbol, on the coin. It's strange. Like I've seen it before. And it's on his armor too."

"Bah, just some clan thing. It's not uncommon for them to mark their gold like that. Very selfish people they are." Tigress suddenly found a plate of warm bean buns in her paws, replacing the coin. "Now, why don't you go and bring their table some bean buns." Tigress nodded and walked out of the kitchen, still trying to process how her father could move fast enough to switch the coin with a hefty plate of buns.

She didn't expect to ever really figure it out.

Her walk slowed as she approached the table. The big ones back was to her, and she almost froze when one of the smaller wolves peered over the big ones shoulder. "Finally! I haven't eaten all day!"

Tigress came to a stop to the big wolfs left as she placed the plate on the table, half its contents emptied immediately by the apparently starved wolves. She was about to turn and walk to the kitchen when a gruff voice suddenly commanded "Wait."

She froze mid-step as the large wolf turned to her, looking at her with his good eye. "Who are you?"

"I am Tigress, sir."

"Tigress. I know that name." The wolf looked her over again. "But if you are here, then the seer was wrong."

"The seer can't be wrong! She's never wrong!"

"Well, I mean, we hope she is, on certain things."

"We are?"

"Quiet you idiots! If this is the Tigress I have heard of, and she is here, the seer is incorrect! Either that, or the fates have changed!" The big wolf turned to the small tiger, who was visibly shaking. "I am sorry child. I did not mean to frighten you. You may go now." As she walked away, she heard the big wolf turn to his compatriots. "I should have known finding the panda here would be too easy. I doubt he's anywhere near this blasted valley."

As she entered the kitchen, Mr. Ping looked over his shoulder at her. "Well? Did they like the buns?"

"Yes father."

"Good good, they were set to go bad soon, glad we could sell them." He looked at her daughter quizzically. "Are you feeling alright?"

"No, I seem to have come down with something. I am going to go to bed early tonight."

"Yes that would be best, you look horrid."

Tigress rolled her eyes, but a smile still forced its way out. "Thanks dad."

"And don't worry about those wolves. I put special herbs in the soup, slightly calming, will leave them very docile." But as Mr. Ping turned, he hit a small glass container with his wing, knocking it into the pot. "Or, it may put them into a three day sleep."

Tigress shook her head and walked up stairs, collapsing into bed.

She dreamt of things she did not understand. She saw warriors, bright lights, heard screams and yells, but the colors were blurred, the images hidden. She yelled out for help several times, she tossed and turned, but she felt confined, trapped.

Suddenly, she began to fall, deep in a blindingly bright chasm that seemed to have no end. She screamed out again, crying for help. And as she fell, a soft melody of a bamboo flute saved her, and brought her back to a restful state of being, where darkness finally closed in on her exhausted and traumatized mind.


	12. Sunrise and Sweet Surprise

Tigress woke slowly. It was one of those mornings. The kind of morning where you wake up with your eyes closed, with all the energy in the world, ready to take on the day, but at the same time you really REALLY don't want to wake up.

With a sigh, she slowly opened her eyes.

The sun was rising, its faint glow lighting the wall of the adjacent building directly outside her window. On the window sill sat her bamboo flute. She looked at it oddly. She didn't remember putting it there. Shrugging she did what she did every morning.

She climbed up onto the roof.

And there she sat, tail hanging lazily off the side of the building next to her legs, enjoying how quiet the valley was before everyone else awoke.

There were a few people on the street, sure. Merchants setting up their booths for the breakfast crowd, a few early risers getting a morning walk in before the streets crowded. Looking towards the entrance to the village, she saw a old goat leaving through its gates. Though it was stroking a long beard rather thoughtfully, Tigress couldn't help but feel it was an old lady.

Then, she looked up at the mountain. The Jade palace stuck out vividly, the sun reflecting off its splendor and reflecting colors onto the valley.

Tigress always thought it was breath taking. She had always wished she could somehow capture it, capture it in a way that would allow her to see it shining in the morning sun at any time, were it raining or in the darkest of the night.

She heard a pan fall downstairs and sighed.

Time for noodles.

About half way through the day, Mr. Ping stopped Tigress before she went out to do another round in the courtyard.

"Tigress, I need you to do something for me. Very important. Crucial to the noodles."

"Yea dad? Table three needs more water. Kinda busy."

Mr. Ping handed Tigress a bag full of coins. "Water is nothing if there is no noodles to be eaten! Noodles before water! I need some more radishes for my soup. For some reason, everyone is wanting the same thing today!" Tigress nodded and took the purse, then turned towards the door. "Make sure they are fresh!"

"I know dad." She walked out the door and into the courtyard.

"And big!"

"I will dad." She made it to the door and was about to turn the corner.

"And Tigress!" Tigress peeked her head back through the doorway. "There are a few extra coins in there, in case you see something you'd like!" Tigress smiled brightly, and ran off into the market.

**Sorry for the short post. Just putting it up to let you all know I am still alive and the story will continue.**

**I actually have it all done in my head.**

**But finding time to write it all down? That's the difficult part.**

**Anyway, this is like, a third of what this chapter was supposed to be.**


	13. New Hobby and Old Friends

Tigress walked through the markets. She already knew where she would get her father's radishes, an old rabbit couple that set up shop on the edge of town. It's where he always bought them.

She was walking through the streets for herself. She had counted out the extra coins her father had given her, and though it wasn't much, it was more than she had ever had to spend on herself before.

She stopped in the middle of the crowds and looked around at the different stalls.

She saw a pig selling knives. Big knives. Definitely something her father would be interested in.

A goose off to her left was selling some fine linen. One of the fabrics had a design she really liked, with golden vines and black trim, but she knew she didn't have enough to afford that. _Someday. _She thought to herself.

A few food carts were spread about as well, selling sweets and treats and other things. But nothing caught her eye.

And then just as she was going to give up and go to get the radishes, something caught her eye.

An old goat sat against a wall, an umbrella propped above her head for shade and a simple woven mat underneath her to ward off dust. A few small trinkets were scattered about her, along with several large blank canvases.

Curiosity took over her, and Tigress pressed through the crown in her direction.

When she finally broke through the last pocket of shoppers, she found the goat had risen, as if expecting her. "Well hello there young one, may I interest you in some odds and ends and trinkets?"

Tigress nodded, and then squinted at the old woman. "I thought I saw you leave this morning."

The goat took a sidelong look towards the gate, then up towards the mountains, before heaving a deep sigh. "Well, unfortunately, something called me back in before I could get too far. And I decided that while I was still here, I might as well make my load a little lighter."

Tigress nodded, though more out of confusion than understanding. "What are those?" She asked, pointing to the canvas.

"Those? Those are where dreams become reality. They are the things where you can depict what you imagine for the world to see and enjoy. You can put your emotions, your wants, your hates, whatever you feel into them. The canvas and the paint are one of the greatest forms of expression ever beheld by life."

"Does it come with the paint?" Tigress asked, staring at the canvas, eyes wide in awe.

"Of course it comes with paint." The goat answered, motioning to a large burlap sack to her side. "What good is a blank canvas without paint?" Tigress reached for the coin purse, her mind.

"How much do you want for them?"

"For you my dear Tigress? How about you just do me a favor and take them. They are heavy and hard to carry. And you will put them to much better use than I, or any of those wandering these streets."

"No, no I must pay. Here, this is what my father gave me. Take it." She took the coins and dropped them into the goat's hands. "Thank you so very much."

"It was my pleasure Tigress." Tigress shouldered the pack and grabbed the canvas, then turned to hurry away, when she suddenly stopped.

"Wait a minute, how do you know my name?" Tigress turned around, only to find the goat was gone.

As if she was never there.

Tigress backed away slowly, then turned and hurried to get the radishes.

Oogway sat under the peach tree, meditating. When he heard the soft tapping of a cane, he sighed.

"I do believe you told me you were leaving last night."

The old goat sat down next to the aged turtle and sighed.

"I had to set things right."

"Well, that's good. The universe does not appreciate those who try to change what they see fit to happen."

"I noticed that when it moved the panda into the palace."

Oogway sighed. "I am truly sorry for the loss that you must endure in the future. But I am afraid there is nothing you can do to change it. The universe will always have its way. It may twist and turn and move things around, but everything it decrees will come to happen."

"Then why does it give me the ability to see the future if there is nothing that I can do about it?"

"That is indeed the question, is it not? Perhaps it is hoping that you will help it along, encourage people along the correct path." Oogway looked down at the goat at his side. "Have you ever tried to stop a raging river?"

"No, I cannot say that I have."

"Well, a raging river will always stay on course. No matter how large of a boulder, how thick of a dam, how great a pile of dirt you put in its path, it will find a way around the boulder, it will find a way through the dam, it will find a way to break down the dirt. The flow of the universe is one direction, my friend, a raging river that ever flows."

"I understand."

"No, but someday, you will. The universe will call to you. It will tell you what to do. But until then, you must practice patience. What is coming cannot be stopped. But the damage can be minimized. The carnage can be controlled."

"If we encourage it on the correct path?"

Oogway merely nodded.

The seer sighed deeply, and then stood. "Shen will be wondering where I am. He spends his days planning and raving and designing. The stress will be the death of him." She bowed slightly to Oogway. "This is the last time I will see you, isn't it."

"Yes. I am afraid so."

"Was it worth it?" The seer asked sullenly.

"What was worth it, my friend?"

"Your life; Kung Fu, the universe, all of it. Was it worth it?"

Oogway looked up at the peach tree and smiled softly. "Yes. Yes, it was all worth it."

**Dang it has been a while. Don't worry, I should be updating on a more regular basis now. Had to do a lot of moving, and college started back up. Business classes are rough.**

**Hope you all forgive me!**

**Next update should be in a few days! Hopefully back to the half Po half Tigress update scheme.**


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